Topical Treatments For Acne

Skin Care Routines For Acne

Regardless of your skin type, location of your acne or sex, it is vital that you establish a daily skin care routine and stick to it. While a skin care routine alone may not be sufficient to keep your acne permanently at bay, you should not neglect your skin just because you suffer from a more severe form of acne.  A properly cared-for skin will heal quicker and look better than one which is isn’t. And for you guys out there – this stuff isn’t cissy – it’s just common sense!

The lotions, gels, creams and cleansers that fill the shelves of any drug store are known as topical treatments because they act on the acne by treating the skin surface. These will form the bedrock of your skin care routine.

It’s important to understand that while some topical preparations may work very well for one group of people, they may prove virtually useless for others – it all depends on a number of factors, which include your skin type, the origin and severity of your acne.
 

Which Type of Anti-Acne Product Is Right For Me?

There are 2 main categories of topical products available for treating acne. These include:

1. Acne cleansers and medicated creams containing :

• Salicylic acid

• Glycolic acid

• Antibacterial components

• Sulfur
  
  This category of products is best suited for users those suffering from adult acne, or with a tendency towards dry skin.

2. Acne cleansers and medicated creams containing benzoyl peroxide. 
   
   Good, when used correctly, for controlling teen acne, but likely to cause irritation on older, less oily skins, because it works by reducing oil on the skin.
   
   You'll find benzoyl peroxide for sale at strengths of 10%, but in this case, the adage "more is better" does not apply – 10% is likely to cause skin irritation, so stick to 2.5% in the first instance. Once your skin is accustomed to the weaker solution, you can move up to 5%, then 10% if necessary. A tiny percentage of people find they are allergic to benzoyl peroxide, and will experience swelling or crusting of skin, so it's important to do a skin test before launching in.

Acn
Where To Find Anti-Acne Treatments
 

    Any drugstore or pharmacy will have a wide range of anti-acne cleansers, creams, gels and lotions.  SkinStore.com also carries an excellent range of acne products.  What is particularly useful about this site is that it also displays user ratings and reviews of each product, which can be invaluable in helping you decide whether or not a product will be effective.

How To Use Anti-Acne Products?

1.   Wash / Cleanse

You should begin your skin care routine by very gentle cleansing. Don’t wash your face with very hot or cold water. Use lukewarm water and a mild, non-alcohol cleanser twice a day and if you work out, when you finish in the gym. Scrubbing your face isn't advisable - you'll risk inflammation. A good cleanser will both clean and exfoliate the skin by lifting away dead cells without any additional pressure from you. Rinse gently to remove the cleanser.

If you are following the 3-step routine described here, you can use an ordinary, non-medicated cleanser (best if you have sensitive skin) such as;

Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser
ZENMED® Facial Cleansing Gel /  ZENMED® Botanical Acne Body Wash
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash

You can also use a medicated cleanser especially designed for acne-prone skin, but you’ll need to select according to your skin type.

If you are a teen and/or have very oily skin, your medicated cleanser should have a benzoyl peroxide-base*, such as

Jan Marini Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Wash
or PCA SKIN pHaze 31 BPO 5% Cleanser .


Popular Products

PCA SKIN pHaze 35 Acne Gel	M.D. Forte Facial Cleanser I	Philosophy Hope In A Bottle For Congested Skin

If you are older and with a less oily skin, you should avoid benzoyl peroxide preparations as they will probably be too drying. You should opt instead for a salicylic acid or glycolic acid cleanser such as;

M.D. Forte Facial Cleanser I, II or III (different strengths)
ClearPores Facial Cleanser / ClearPores Body Cleanser
Donell Super Skin Beta Hydroxy Acne Cleanser (don’t use if you have sensitive skin)

 

2.   Medicate

Stage 2 of your skin care regimen should see you gently applying medicated cream or gel to your problem areas, which should be left to work all day long. Again, if you have teenage acne, use a benzoyl peroxide base. For adult acne, use a salicyclic acid or glycolic acid base such as those suggested here;

Benzoyl Oxide Treatments

Neutrogena On-the-Spot 2.5% (you’ll need 4-6 tubes per month)

N.V. Perricone Acne Treatment Gel Cream

B. Kamins Medicated Acne Gel 5%

Jan Marini Benzoyl Peroxide 5%

ZENMED® Facial Cleansing Gel	Neutrogena On-the-Spot 2.5%	M.D. Forte Facial Cream I

Salicyclic Acid Treatments

Sundari T-Zone Oil Control Treatment
ZENMED Derma Cleanse Acne Gel
Donell Super Skin Alpha Beta Acne Gel (good for blackheads, but best avoided on sensitive skins)
PCA SKIN pHaze 35 Acne Gel
Philosophy Hope In A Bottle For Congested Skin


Glycolic Acid Treatments

Jan Marini Bioglycolic Acne Gel I, II (different strengths)
Pevonia Spot Treatment
M.D. Forte Glycare Perfection Gel
M.D. Forte Facial Cream I, II or III (different strengths)

3.   Moisturize

The final part of your skin care routine should be daily, or twice daily moisturizing  with a non-oily moisturizer. If you’re using a medicated spot treatment, be careful not to “overdose” your skin by using a moisturizer which contains the same active ingredient. 

Popular moisturizers include: 

Murad Moisturizing Acne Treatment Gel (use instead of medicating)
ClearPores™ Facial Protection Cream (use instead of medicating)
MD Formulations Moisture Defense Antioxidant Hydrating Gel
DermaNew Active Hydrator
Juice Beauty Oil Free Moisturizer
AHAVA Matifying Moisturizer For Oily Skin

Daniel W. Kern of Acne.org has produced an excellent set of videos illustrating just how you should wash, medicate and moisturize to get maximum results from topical products. 

You can view the videos by clicking on the links below;

 

Daniel W. Kern’s Skin Care Videos

Alleviate, Not Cure...

Remember that whatever they claim, topical acne products will not cure acne – at best they will help to create conditions in which it is harder for spots and lesions to form, and if you’re lucky, may also help speed up the healing time of breakouts. To give yourself the best possible chance, aggravating factors such as excess sugary foods, smoking, caffeine and picking of spots are best avoided.

You should give your skin care regimen 6-8 weeks to work before considering other options for treatment.

	Prevention	Early Suppression	Mild-Moderate Acne	Severe Acne	Side Effect Free	Affordability
Cosmetic Topicals

If you want to prevent your blackheads and other blemishes erupting in the first place, you might want to think about taking preventative measures in the form of a good bioherbaceutical supplement such as AcnEase®, ClearPores or ZENMED™ DermaCleanse . These are all examples of good quality supplements which have been clinically proven to be effective in the prevention of acne by acting to stabilize the body metabolism so that it not subject to acne flare-ups. 

Holistic Anti-Acne Products

ZENMED®  Derma Cleanse System	ClearPores Facial and Body Systems

For more detailed information on bioherbaceutical acne therapy, go here .
 

Chances are if you’re reading this report, you’ve discovered that no amount of cleansing or moisturising is having much impact on your acne. It means you have a more severe form, in which the infection is more serious, greater, and runs deeper.  While you should still stick to your regimen, you’re going to have to take more radical action as well, so read why not download our free 39-page report with descriptions and commentary on ALL available acne treatments.